Tien in the Twilight Zone
by Allviran
Summary: Tien feels his entire life is thrown out of balance when he begins to see and omen of his past everywhere...


The Northern Capitol was dead by sundown. From a bright welcoming city, the entire area would close down along with the sun. It was the perfect time for Tien to be outside.  
"Please hurry back," Said Chiaotzu through a telepathic message.  
"I will Chiaotzu. Don't worry about me, just worry about your fever," Tien replied. "I'll see you when I get back."  
"Okay."  
The air around Tien's body was cold and harsh, a blunt reminder of his day. He had tried to get a job but turned down the application when he discovered that his boss would be a Launch look-alike. The last person he wanted to see every day was the girl he was running from.  
Tien sighed as he continued to walk down the sidewalk, his breath becoming a cloud of icy air as Tien exhaled.  
When he came across a bus stop, Tien searched his pockets for spare change. There had to be a loose penny somewhere… As Tien searched, the bus pulled up directly in front of the bus stop.  
The door opened and step-by-step Tien climbed into the bus. Not bothering to meet eyes with the bus driver, Tien continuously searched through the pocket of his jacket.  
"Don't worry," The bus driver said in a flirtatious tone. "Free of charge for a cutie like you."  
Tien recognized that voice… The voice of Launch. Tien's head jerked upward. In his favor, the bus driver appeared to be a 200-year-old man.  
"Free of charge," The bus driver repeated in a groggy old man's voice.  
Desiring only to forget the situation, Tien walked towards the very back of the bus. Sitting in the seat directly across from him was a girl with long blond curly hair and deep indigo eyes. Tien quickly turned away and stared blankly out the window.  
Block after block the bus drove on, continuing it's path to East City. Tien watched shop after shop close down, and then the nightclubs light up. Stop after stop, not one person waited for the bus.  
Tien's eyes widened at two girls entering a bar. They were twins, it looked like. They both had long blue curly hair and blue eyes. The twins waved at Tien then giggled as they entered a bar. Tien slowly turned his head away from the window.  
About another twenty minute drive away, the bus stopped to let someone on. Tien thought nothing of the newcomer on the bus; he remained silent in his seat.  
Tien felt a disturbance in his seat as the new person on the bus gracefully sat down next to him. He carefully turned his focus to the woman sitting next to him. To his great relief, she had long straight black hair. Nothing there to remind Tien of Launch.  
"Hi, I haven't seen you around this town and I take this bus every night! Are you new?" The woman spoke quickly. Nothing like Launch at all.  
"Yeah, I'm just visiting. I really need to get home to my sick friend though," Tien replied.  
"Oh, that's cool. And hey, don't mind me, I just have a little cold…" Said the woman.  
"That's okay…" Tien looked down.  
"AHCHOOOOOOOOO!" The woman sneezed.  
"Bless you…" Tien slowly turned his head up to see if the woman was all right. Horrifyingly, the woman's hair color changed from black to red.  
"I have a sudden burning urge to hijack this bus…!" She said. She pulled a gun out of her purse and ran up to the front of the bus. She pointed the gun at the bus driver's head and yelled, "Let go of the wheel old man or I'll make your time sooner!"  
Obediently, the bus driver's hands shot up in the air, leaving the steering wheel to move freely. The bus swerved and weaved from left to right with no one behind to control the tires.  
The girl at the other side of the bus covered her head with her hands and began screaming as loud as she possibly could.  
Tien rose from his seat and dashed to the front of the bus. He yanked the gun from the woman's hands and pointed the barrel in her direction. "Put your hands back on the wheel," Tien ordered the bus driver.  
The bus driver was in a slight daze, but obeyed Tien and returned to control the bus. The girl at the back was still screaming as the bus screeched to a halt.  
The red haired woman raised her hands up half way, and then sneezed again. She returned to the black haired state Tien had found her in.  
The woman fell to her knees crying. "I did it again! I'm so sorry!"  
Tien tossed the gun toward the back of the bus. He looked down at the woman then said, "Tell it to the judge." He immediately got off the bus.  
'It seems dark enough to fly home now,' Tien thought. He lifted off the ground and flew home to Chiaotzu.

Tien unlocked the front door of his Capsule house. "I'm back, Chiaotzu," He announced.  
"Oh good," Said Chiaotzu. He sniffed a bit.  
"How's that fever coming along?" Tien asked closing the door behind him.  
"Fine. I feel a lot better. Thank you, Tien," Replied Chiaotzu.  
"No problem. It's the least I could do for you," Said Tien. He turned away from Chiaotzu and took off his jacket.  
Behind, Chiaotzu let out a tiny sneeze.  
"You okay, Chiaotzu?" Tien asked as he reached to hang up his jacket.  
Chiaotzu did not reply.  
"Chiaotzu?"  
Tien turned to see why Chiaotzu had not responded, and he could see why. Standing in Chiaotzu's place, giggling, was a girl with blue curly hair and deep indigo eyes…


End file.
